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Reds ready to challenge again?

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Liverpool kick off their summer pre-season games with a friendly against Chinese side Guangdong on Wednesday amid heightened expectation that the Reds are on the up under Kenny Dalglish – but just how well can they expect to do next season?

It’s tempting to say the sky’s the limit for Dalglish’s side and nothing is out of reach for them in the 2011/12 campaign as the manager rebuilds the Reds squad and attempts to turn them into top-four Premier League challengers once again (10/1 Premier League Outright).

He has already bolstered the ranks with Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam and there are expected to be more big-name arrivals before the action gets underway for real on August 13 against Sunderland. Stewart Downing remains a top target despite Aston Villa’s determination to keep him (Villa 18/1 – Top Four finish) and a deal could be struck for the England winger if a fee can be agreed.

The former Middlesbrough man would certainly add more quality from out wide – something Liverpool were desperately short of under former bosses Rafa Benitez and Roy Hodgson – and should provide the service the likes of Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez will crave up front.

Dalglish has other targets in the transfer market – Newcastle’s Luis Enrique and Birmingham’s Scott Dann remain on his radar amongst others – but it is thought he will have to sell some first-team squad players before making more significant purchases.

David Ngog, Milan Jovanovic, Joe Cole, Christian Poulsen, Alberto Aquilani, Emiliano Insua and even last season’s PFA fans’ player of the year, Raul Meireles, have been tipped to leave should the right offers come in and certainly, with Henderson and Adam now on board, Liverpool have too many midfielders.

One of Dalglish’s biggest dilemmas next season might be how best to mould a successful side out of his squad – especially if he can’t shift some of the dead wood in the next month or so. Several experienced players, like Dirk Kuyt, Maxi Rodriguez, Meireles, Cole and Lucas no longer appear to be first-choice under the Scot and will have to work hard to enjoy regular action.

However, the critics will say the reason why Liverpool have struggled to make an impact in the top four over the past few years is because their first-team squad has simply not been good enough and, while the likes of Lucas, Maxi and Kuyt are solid Premier League players in their own right, they are hardly the sorts who would make the Reds into a title-winning outfit (Manchester United 13/8f – Outright).

So Dalglish, well aware of that fact and determined to add more players of the calibre of Suarez, Carroll and Adam to his ranks rather than rely on those simply not up to the required standard, does still have plenty of work to do to ensure the Reds are able to compete at the top end of the table again.

Captain and vice-captain Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher have been keen to try and quell rising expectation levels among fans ahead of next season and have said the top four is the priority with anything else a bonus.

Without the distraction of Europe, as it stands with the players at his disposal now, fourth (5/4 – Top Four finish) might be just about the best Dalglish can hope for (and even that would be some achievement) but, with a couple more top-quality additions over the next few weeks and a streamlining of the first-team squad, the Reds might just be ready to emerge as dark horses and begin to dream about a title challenge in 2011/12.

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Cagey Pacific ‘Clasico’ climax

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The group stages of the Copa America will come to a climax this week and on Tuesday it will be the turn of the Group C teams to battle for a place in the quarter-finals.

The pre-tournament totesport market had Uruguay down as the team who would stroll into the last eight along with Chile, while Peru and a youthful Mexico side were tipped to drop out of the running.

But, like Argentina and Brazil, Uruguay have yet to win after two group games, while Peru’s win against Mexico has given them the upper hand in terms of qualification along with the Chileans as the two sides go head-to-head in a game where a draw could be enough to send both through.

Uruguay must win against Mexico, who could also still qualify, and hope results go in their favour to progress so it is set to be an evening of twists and turns.

Chile v Peru

The Pacific ‘Clasico’ in Mendoza sees two teams in good form go head-to-head in a match which will have the added spice factor of the two neighbouring countries not exactly being the best of friends in the political world.

Chile (8/11 To Win) have been well backed in the tournament with 30,000 fans coming across the border into Argentina to see a draw with Uruguay and a 2-1 win against Mexico in which they battled back from a goal down.

The likes of Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal are both in impressive form and coach Claudio Borghi will be hoping they can shine again against the Peruvians as they aim to go one better than four final defeats in the past.

The 1975 champions Peru (18/5 To Win 90 Minutes) also drew with Uruguay and defeated Mexico in their group games so there is little to divide the sides in terms of form ahead of this clash.

Hamburg striker Paolo Guerrero is the man in form for Peru with goals in both games to date as he has helped the Incas to overcome the unavailability of stars such as Claudio Pizarro and Jefferson Farfan.

A draw could be enough to send both teams through but neither side is going into the clash thinking that way as they go for the win to be certain of a quarter-final spot.

Games involving Peru don’t usually bring a lot of goals to the table – they have kept clean sheets in four of their last six games – so don’t expect a goal-fest.

Prediction: Draw 90 Minutes @ 9/4
Value Bet: 0-0 Correct Score @ 6/1

Uruguay v Mexico

This is the more interesting clash as both sides know they must win the game in La Plata to have any chance of reaching the last eight.

Uruguay’s prospects have not been helped by the loss of striker Edinson Cavani due to the twisted knee ligaments he suffered in the 1-1 draw against Chile, while left-back Martin Caceres is suspended after picking up his second yellow card of the tournament.

Abel Hernandez and Cristian Rodriguez are favourites to replace Cavani while Alvaro Pereira is likely to drop back from midfield to defence to replace Caceres, with Alvaro Gonzalez taking his place in midfield.

But with the likes of Diego Forlan and Liverpool hitman Luis Suarez set to be involved, you can’t help but think they will find another gear when it matters to get more goals.

Mexico have been in disarray since arriving for the tournament as invitees given that they had already won the CONCACAF Gold Cup so opted to look to their younger squad members to bring them success in Argentina.

With the loss of eight members of the regular national team and false drug allegations also hampering the Mexicans, it is no surprise they have narrowly lost their opening group games.

They must win (Mexico 11/2 To Win) and hope to secure a last-eight spot via a best third-placed finish, but coach Luis Fernando Tena’s men could well be jetting home after this game.

Prediction: Uruguay To Win 90 Minutes @ 1/2
Value Bet: Uruguay 3-1 Correct Score @ 11/1

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Crunch time for Messi and Co

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Regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s top-versus-bottom Group A clash between Colombia and Bolivia in Santa Fe, under-fire hosts Argentina must win against Costa Rica in Cordoba on Monday evening if they are going to reach the quarter-finals of the Copa America.

A draw will be enough to see Colombia through on Sunday and that would mean the Costa Ricans can follow them into the knock-out stages by holding the under-performing Argentines to their third successive draw of the group stage (5/1 Draw 90 Minutes).

With a game of huge meaning looming large, Argentina coach Sergio Batista appears set to press the panic button and wield the axe to his misfiring attacking line-up as he attempts to keep the nation on course for a first South American title since 1993.

Fernando Gago, Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria and Gonzalo Higuain all look set to be given a chance to save the hosts by receiving a place in the starting XI at the expense of Manchester City’s unsettled talisman Carlos Tevez, Napoli striker Ezequiel Lavezzi, Ever Banega and Esteban Cambiasso.

World player of the year Lionel Messi will be given another chance to finally replicate his Barcelona form for his country after struggling to make an impact in the opening two matches.

However, with the backing of team-mate Javier Masherano, 22-year-old Messi is confident it will be third time lucky for Argentina and they will see off Costa Rica to book a last-eight spot.

He said: “I am feeling good and looking forward to it. I am confident that the team will qualify. We will progress.”

There is an element of déjà vu looking ahead to an Argentina game as it is always felt that the pre-tournament favourites will suddenly click into gear and their big guns will fire them to victory.

But that has not happened in the opening two games and Costa Rica won’t be rolling over to make it happen for them in an encounter they will be as desperate not to lose in order to go through to the quarter-finals.

Ricardo La Volpe’s Central American tournament invitees bounced back from an opening defeat to Colombia with a 2-0 success over Bolivia thanks to second-half goals from Josue Martinez and Joel Campbell.

Their cause was helped by the fact Bolivia played the second 45 minutes with nine men following two red cards, but they will have been handed a confidence boost from the win which they should take into the Argentina match (Costa Rica 11/1 To Win 90 Minutes).

The fact Costa Rica are sitting in second place going into the final group game is a surprise given that, like Mexico, they sent a youthful squad to the Copa America as part of their preparations for next summer’s Olympics, having already featured in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in America this summer which was seen as their priority.

But to dismiss them would be a mistake and that is something Argentina cannot afford to do when they go head-to-head on Monday.

Prediction: Argentina To Win 90 Minutes @ 2/11
Value Bet: Argentina 2-0 Correct Score @ 19/5

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Premier League hot properties

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Bet on the Premier LeagueThe transfer market is slowly starting to pick up pace with a number of the Premier League’s top players linked with moves this summer.

One player who is drawing plenty of headlines is Arsenal (7/1 Premier League 2011/2012 outright) playmaker Samir Nasri, who is clearly not happy with the lack of silverware the Gunners have been able to win since his arrival from Marseille.

The talented Frenchman has been linked with a move to the North West with both Manchester City and Manchester United after the 24-year-old.

United (13/8 Premier League 2011/2012 outright) are looking to fill the void left by Paul Scholes, after the midfield general hung up his boots at the end of last season, whilst City are looking to add to their wealth of riches in the middle of the park.

Chelsea have thrown their name into the hat but may have played it too late to sign the French international, with Nasri likely to move to one of the Manchester giants.

An English international who is attracting the attention of the Premier League’s top clubs is Aston Villa’s Stewart Downing.

Every summer the winger is linked with a move to one of the top four, but this summer could be Downing’s last at Villa Park with Liverpool and now Arsenal keen on acquiring the player’s services.

Villa have already turned down a £15m bid for the midfielder but it won’t be long before either the Reds or the Gunners produce a higher bid.

Wigan Athletic’s hot property Charles N’Zogbia will leave the Lancashire outfit if he does not agree a new contract with the club in the coming weeks.

The Frenchman has also been linked with Liverpool, who are desperate to acquire wide players to provide decent balls for frontmen Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez.

N’Zogbia was one of the main reasons why the Latics (17/10 Premier League 2011/2012 relegation) avoided the drop to the Championship last season, but the 25-year-old is likely to leave the club either this summer or in January, with just one year remaining on his current deal.

Luka Modric has been in the midst of much discussion, as United and Chelsea (5/2 Premier League 2011/2012 outright) have been strongly linked with the Tottenham Hotpsur creative midfielder.

The Blues have already has a £22m deal for the Croatian midfielder turned down, as Spurs are adamant the player will not be leaving White Hart Lane this summer.

But with a player who reportedly wants to leave the north London club and Tottenham looking to fund a brand new stadium, will they be able to say no if a monumental offer comes in?

City skipper Carlos Tevez has once again declared he wants to leave the club this summer as he continues to be dogged by homesickness.

It’s highly unlikely to think another Premier League club would make a bid for the Argentina striker, but the two Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona are likely suitors for the former United star.

These Premier League stars are likely to be part of what is set to be a busy transfer window, with clubs desperate to finish as high as possible in the much anticipated upcoming season in England’s top flight.

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Colombia to seal last-eight spot

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Colombia will look to pile more pressure on Copa America hosts and Group A rivals Argentina by defeating Bolivia in Santa Fe on Sunday evening and sealing their place in the quarter-finals.

The main talking point of the finals so far has been the failure of the host nation Argentina to register a victory from their opening two matches, against Bolivia and the Colombians.

This has resulted in angry protests from the press and supporters of Argentina and there have now been reports of in-fighting within coach Sergio Batista’s squad.

However, while Colombia’s strong defence held them to a goalless draw on Wednesday, Costa Rica rose to the challenge and defeated Bolivia the following evening to leave them third in Group A and in great danger of an early exit.

Argentina’s anxiousness will not be eased by the prospect of seeing Colombia face bottom side Bolivia on Sunday, knowing one of two quarter-final places will be taken up if they manage even a draw from that game (5/2 Draw 90 Minutes).

Los Cafeteros have shown good signs as a team capable of going possibly winning the tournament and confident defender Mario Yepes insisted that they are ‘well on their way’.

Dario Gomez’s Colombia might have Europe’s most prolific striker in the shape of FC Porto’s Radamel Falcao (Evens Anytime Goalscorer) and his creative team-mate Fredy Guarin, but that pairing have been put firmly in the shade by a resolute defence which has kept six clean sheets in their last nine games (11/10 To Keep A Clean Sheet).

The previous 12 games involving Colombia have failed to produce more than 2.5 goals so, while they don’t score many, opposition teams will always have to work over-time to breach their rearguard (15/8  1 or Less – Total Goals).

That leaves Bolivia with a tall order to secure the win they require to stay in with a chance of progressing to the quarter-finals and do Argentina a favour in the process.

La Verde have something in common with Colombia, in that they have only scored one goal in their opening two games – but they have conceded three which will be a concern to coach Gustavo Quinteros.

Bolivia have also failed to win so far in 2011 with four defeats and three draws from seven games since February, including the two matches played in the Copa America.

Therefore, despite it being a must-win encounter for them (Bolivia 9/2 To Win 90 Minutes), it seems highly likely that their involvement will come to an end on Sunday while Colombia will progress into the last-eight.

Prediction: Colombia To Win 90 Minutes @ 4/7

Value Bet: Guarin To Score & Colombia Win 1-0 Scorecast @ 35/1

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Copa shocker for Argentina

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Argentina remain the 5/4 favourites to seal Copa America glory on home soil but the South American giants have hardly enjoyed a glittering start to the competition.

Bolivia and Colombia have both managed to frustrate Sergio Bastia’s Argentina, with Bolivia grabbing a 1-1 draw and Colombia holding out for a 0-0 stalemate.

However, Bastia is confident they can secure victory over Costa Rica in their final Group A fixture and book a spot in the knock-out stages.

“The things are not going the way they were in the friendly matches. No one expected this kind of game, nothing comes out the way we expected,” Batista said.

“I remain confident about these players, they are very good. We’re a little slow in the front. This does not require major change, we will play with two defensive midfielders and maybe one more winger, one man is missing in the area.

“We have a game against Costa Rica, and we can have five points to qualify. We need to keep calm, think it is a final and come out with this mentality.”

Argentina certainly boast plenty of quality amongst their ranks, including Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez and Atletico Madrid frontman Sergio Aguero, and Basita will be desperate for his star men to replicate their club form for their country.

Bolivia can take a massive step towards reaching the next stage of the Copa America with a victory over Costa Rica on Thursday night.

The Bolivians took an improbable lead over Argentina in their opening fixture before being pegged back and they’re evens to take maximum points on Thursday, while the draw is 11/5 and Costa Rica are 5/2.

Bolivia will have been given a massive boost in confidence following their display against Argentina and they should prove too strong for minnows Costa Rica.

However, neither Bolivia nor Costa Rica are particularly blessed in terms of attacking talent and a single goal could separate the two sides, with under 2.5 goals priced at 8/11.

On Friday, Uruguay take on Chile in what could well prove to be an interesting contest.

Uruguay are the slight favourites at 7/5, while Chile are 7/4 and the draw is 21/10. Chile have plenty of attacking talent, including one of the most wanted men this summer – Udinese schemer Alexis Sanchez – but Uruguay are a well organised and efficient unit, with some talented players of their own.

Chile saw off Mexico in their opening fixture, while Uruguay were held by Peru, and the fixture does promise to be a close encounter.

Uruguay will be desperate to grab their first win of the tournament and should be able to get the better of Chile.

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England daring to dream of glory

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England’s women have negotiated a tricky group to make it through to the last eight of the World Cup and are on offer with totesport at 18/1 to win the competition. But just how far can Hope Powell’s side now go in the tournament?

In the end, the Lionesses, as they are known, finished top of Group B and seem to building momentum nicely as the tournament prepares to usher in the knockout stage over the weekend.

The 2-0 win over a highly-regarded Japan side on Tuesday was impressive with England, after surviving a bit of early pressure, going on to dominate pretty much all over the pitch. The win was richly-deserved in the end and will have made the likes of quarter-final opponents France (14/1 – Outright), favourites Germany (10/11) and the always-impressive USA (7/2) take note.

Kelly Smith remains England’s main attacking threat but it will have been the performances of some of the other unsung members of her side that Powell will have been pleased with most on Tuesday.

Ellen White announced her arrival at the competition with a stunning goal – lobbing the Japan keeper from outside the area – while Rachel Yankey came off the bench to seal the win with a well-taken second and those two were among several stand-out performers in the game. Sophie Bradley, meanwhile, was immense at the back and Jess Clarke had also done well in the first 45 minutes before being replaced.

Rachel Unitt is another experienced member of the squad and she, too, was outstanding as England held Japan at bay while creating plenty of chances going forward themselves.

Powell had made a few risky changes to her side for the final group game, most notably resting skipper Faye White, but her game plan was carried out to perfection by her players and they now can approach Saturday’s game against France with confidence.

It will be another tough test for England against a team ranked seventh in the world – England are currently 10th – but one they are capable of passing, especially if they play like they did on Tuesday. The last two matches between the sides have ended in entertaining 2-2 draws so it is likely to be tight in Leverkusen.

If England can come out on top, cynics would then say a semi-final place will be as good as it gets with either Brazil (4/1) or Sweden (18/1) set to stand in their way, but the belief and spirit in Powell’s squad appears to be very high so an extended run in the competition cannot be ruled out now.

Most tournament winners build momentum as the competition progresses and England, after a slow start, look to be doing just that.

Another performance at the level of the Japan victory should be enough to see off France but they will have to raise their game further if they are to  stand a chance of getting into the final.

Then it could be the small matter of hosts Germany, who beat England comfortably in the final of the European Championships two years ago, to see off to claim the ultimate glory.

That’s the stuff of dreams for England’s women – as they know that would be the toughest of all tests – but Powell and co, following Tuesday’s win, are now daring to dream.

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Argentina v Colombia

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All 12 teams involved have now played one game in the 2011 Copa America and the action resumes on Wednesday evening as hosts Argentina will be looking to give their fans something to cheer when they face a tough second test against Colombia in Goup A.

Four of the six encounters so far have ended in a draw which is synonymous with the first matches of group football in major tournaments as no team wants to be too gung-ho and risk seeing their hopes of progression dashed after just 90 minutes of action.

However, in the second matches of the three group fixtures teams start to come out of their shell in search of a win should they have not got off to a flying start.

And that is where Sergio Batista and his Argentina (Evens Copa America Winner) side find themselves going into their game against Colombia in Santa Fe after being held to a surprise 1-1 draw against Bolivia on Friday.

Colombia secured a typically narrow 1-0 win against Costa Rica in their opening match which puts the onus firmly on the hosts to go on the front-foot as a draw (16/5 Draw 90 Minutes) will keep them top of the pile and with one foot virtually in the quarter-finals.

Batista is not expected to make massive changes to his side as he will bank on Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi (5/2 First Goalcsorer) showing more of an understanding than they did against the Bolivians.

However, Friday’s goalscorer, Sergio Aguero is set to be rewarded with a start in place of Ezequiel Lavezzi, while Tevez’s Manchester City team-mate Pablo Zabaleta is set to get the nod ahead of Marcos Rojo at left-back.

Despite the mercurial talents of Messi and Tevez, Batista will be looking for Atletico Madrid hitman Aguero to again find his shooting boots against Colombia following his stunning match-saving volley in the opener.

Aguero scored 12 goals in the final 11 Spanish La Liga games of last season, while he has scored 10 in his last 13 matches for both club and country so should definitely be one to watch out for (4/5 Anytime Goalscorer).

Dario Gomez’s Colombia also have one of Europe’s most prolific strikers in the guise of Radamel Falcao (11/4 Anytime Goalscorer), who scored 33 times in 36 Portuguese Liga and Europa League appearances for Porto last term.

However, he struggled against a 10-man and youthful Costa Rica side due to a distinct lack of service, while his Porto team-mate Fredy Guarin also disappointed with a lack of creativity and wayward long distance efforts.

Once again Gomez had to rely on his stingy backline to ensure they got off to a winning start which continued their run of keeping five clean sheets in their last eight games.

Add to that the statistic that the previous 11 games involving Colombia have failed to produce more than 2.5 goals so, while they don’t score many, their opposition will always have to work over-time to breach their rearguard.

Taking all of these factors into consideration I don’t expect Colombia to risk losing by being too adventurous in the Argentina half of the field.

But with the hosts in desperate need of a win to avoid the risk of a humiliating Copa America exit in the group stages on home soil should carry them through to a narrow win.

Prediction: Argentina To Win 90 Minutes @ 4/11
Value Bet: Aguero S, Argentina To Win 1-0 Scorecast @ 12/1

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Nine in relegation battle

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The new Premier League 2011/12 football season is just around the corner – 39 days to be precise – and the runners and riders are all gearing up with the transfer market set to hot up between now and the end of August (Premier League 2011/12 – outright winner).

Six clubs are certain to retain their top-flight status at the end of the forthcoming campaign – Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham will not go down given their financial muscle – which leaves 16 other sides looking over their shoulders.

So 16 bosses will have survival as their first aim – and rightly so given the millions of pounds at stake – but we reckon five of them can relax and be safe in the knowledge they will not be a part of the relegation shake-up.

SUNDERLAND

Injuries and the sale of star striker Darren Bent to Aston Villa conspired to make the second half of last season a miserable one for Black Cats boss Steve Bruce.

Youngster Jordan Henderson has since joined Bent in leaving the Stadium of Light but Bruce has been active in the transfer market, reinvesting the cash raised on the likes of Connor Wickham, Seb Larsson, Craig Gardner and Ji Dong-won.

There will doubtless be more to follow which will be enough to keep Sunderland up for fifth consecutive season.

First game: Liverpool away

Relegation odds: 8/1

ASTON VILLA

Alex McLeish may well have taken Birmingham down last season but it appears he is well out of it at St Andrew’s given the arrest of owner Carson Yeung on money laundering charges in Hong Kong.

And while he has already lost Ashley Young to Manchester United already – and Stewart Downing looks set to go too – McLeish has guaranteed goals provided Bent stays fit.

The Villans badly under-achieved last season but their new boss will ensure the side does not rob the fans again this time around – although he is never likely to be the most popular Villa manager in their history.

First game: Fulham away

Relegation odds: 22/1

EVERTON

David Moyes has achieved miracles on a show-string budget at Goodison Park and although the days of cracking the top four may be a dim and distant memory, he’ll keep them clear of the trapdoor.

Moyes’ standing in the game will attract always players in the right price range and Jermaine Beckford will have come on greatly following his debut Premier League season.

But perhaps the biggest concern for Moyes will be keeping hold of the club’s youngsters like Jack Rodwell and internationals like Leighton Baines.

First game: Tottenham away

Relegation odds: 25/1

BOLTON

The third side with a Scottish boss and it is fair to say north of the border will still be well represented in the Premier League by the end of next season.

Owen Coyle’s rise has been meteoric after guiding Burnley to the promised land in 2009 before jumping ship to stabilise Bolton following the end of Gary Megson’s uninspiring reign.

Coyle has pulled off coups to land both Jack Wilshere and Daniel Sturridge on loan in recent seasons and he will continue in that vein to give the Trotters fans another year in the top flight.

Opening game: QPR away

Relegation odds: 5/1

WEST BROM

A left-field choice, but the Baggies will continue to prosper under Roy Hodgson who almost secured a top-10 finish despite inheriting a struggling side in February.

Forget Hodgson’s Liverpool debacle and it is clear he is an extremely streetwise boss who did a fantastic job in guiding Fulham to the final of the Europa League.

He was also brave enough to realise that they could go no further and should not be judged on matters at Anfield given the club’s change of ownership and associated issues last term.

Opening game: Manchester United home

Relegation odds: 10/3

Nine left sweating: Blackburn, Fulham, Newcastle, Norwich, QPR, Stoke, Swansea, Wigan and Wolves.

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Smith aiming for England progress

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England’s women will qualify for the last eight of the World Cup in Germany if they can avoid defeat against Japan on Tuesday (England 21/10, Japan 23/20, the draw 2/1 – match prices) and, while they have progressed steadily in the tournament so far, they know a possible last-eight clash against the mighty hosts is on the horizon so a victory in Augsburg is vital.

England kicked off the tournament with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Mexico before they chalked up their first win on Friday – coming from behind to beat New Zealand 2-1.

That result, coupled with Japan’s 4-0 win over Mexico, means the winner of Tuesday’s showdown will end up topping the group and therefore probably avoid a knock-out clash against hosts Germany in the last eight.

So it’s no surprise to hear star striker Kelly Smith insisting they are going all out for a win in their final group game (England to win 2-1 – 9/1 – Correct Score).

The two sides played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in the World Cup four years ago – with England denied by a late equaliser after Smith had scored twice – and the 32-year-old says they will not settle for a draw against Japan despite it being enough to ensure progress.

“We are going for a win, we don’t normally set out to draw the game,” she said. “We really want to get three points and top the group.”

Germany are the powerhouse of women’s international football, having won the last two World Cups and three European Championships. Only America have come close to stopping their domination in recent years and England found out to their cost just how good the Germans are on their day when they lost 6-2 to them in the European final two years ago.

France are likely to lie in wait next should the Lionesses top Group B, however, and the two sides are very evenly matched with the last two games between the nations ending in 2-2 draws.

Smith knows this could be her last shot at World Cup glory as she will be 36 when the next tournament comes around so she is desperate to avoid going home early from Germany.

“You have to grab the opportunity with both hands whether you are 21 or my age, you might not play in the World Cup again, you might not qualify,” she said.

So if Smith, who has scored 43 goals in 106 appearances for her country, can inspire England to a win over Japan to avoid Germany in the quarters, then England may just sense they can make it at least into the semi-final before they can maybe start dreaming of even more glory this summer.

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